1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to wireless speaker systems and more specifically to a wireless surround sound speaker system in which a transmitting unit transmits separate and distinct signals for all of the various output channels requisite of surround sound processing.
2. Description of the Related Art
Home theater entertainment systems are becoming increasingly sophisticated and complex. Typical surround sound systems incorporate at least five speakers: front right and left speakers, rear right and left speakers and a front center speaker, requiring that a number of loudspeakers be placed throughout the viewing room, on all sides of the listener/viewer, in order to achieve the desired audio effects. In fact, in some home theater systems, speakers are also placed throughout the entire house in order to broadcast music to every room when the theater effects are not in use. As a result, a multitude of speaker wires must be run throughout the room and the house to each speaker which can be extremely difficult to accomplish. Also, the fact that there is an individual channel associated with each of the surround sound speakers that makes attaching a speaker wire to the correct receiver output channel and speaker equally troublesome. Accordingly, there is a need for a means by which the surround sound speakers can be placed and used throughout a room, or even an entire home, while avoiding the burdens associated with wiring such speakers and adjusting their channel selection and equalization settings. The development of the present invention fulfills this need. To accomplish this, switchable receiving units are tuned to a desired transmitter output channel and include an integrated amplifier, signal biasing capabilities and a graphic equalizer for adjusting the tonal characteristics of the individual speaker to which it is connected, thereby allowing use of the present invention interchangeably with existing loudspeaker arrangements and adjusted at a remote location.
A search of the prior art did not disclose any patents that read directly on the claims of the instant invention. However, several references disclose wireless speaker systems in which FM or infrared signals are transmitted to speakers that are equipped with signal receiving and amplification electronics that are used to drive the loudspeakers. While many of these inventions touch upon the principles of surround sound processing and wireless signal transmission, none of these devices include any individualized channel selection or equalization features that allow the speakers to be used interchangeably and therefore neither anticipate nor disclose any embodiment that would preclude its novelty and the utilitarian functionality of the present invention:
U.S. Pat. No. 5,708,718, issued in the name of Ambourn et al.;
U.S. Pat. No. 5,666,658, issued in the name of Borchardt et al.;
U.S. Pat. No. 5,666,422, issued in the name of Harrison et al.;
U.S. Pat. No. 5,673,323, issued in the name of Schotz et al.;
U.S. Pat. No. 5,218,641, issued in the name of Abe et al.;
U.S. Pat. No. 4,899,388, issued in the name of Mlodzikowski et al.; and
U.S. Pat. No. 3,590,382, issued in the name of Kenney.
The ""718 patent, issued in the name of Ambourn et al., discloses a surround sound processor system in which an audio signal is decoded into in-phase and out-of-phase components. The in-phase signals are sent via FM transmitter to a receiver component that is connected to an amplifier that boosts the signal, driving the center channel loudspeaker(s). The out-of-phase signals are sent via FM transmitter to a receiver component that is connected to an amplifier that boosts the signal, driving the rear channel loudspeaker(s). This disclosure differs from the present invention in that the receiver/amplifier portions are not integrated into the speaker design which necessitates further wiring in the remote location. Furthermore, the ""718 invention requires the use of external wiring connections between the receiver/amplifier combination, making likely the occurrence of the problems to which the present invention is directed.
The ""658 patent, issued in the name of Borchardt et al., discloses a wireless signal transmission system wherein an audio signal is via FM transmission to a pair of wireless headphones. The disclosure neither discloses nor anticipates any surround sound applications utilizing loudspeakers with integrated signal receiving, amplification channel selection and graphic equalization capabilities.
The ""422 patent, issued in the name of Harrison et al., discloses a remote speaker arrangement for surround sound applications intended to eliminate the need for front channel speakers. The wireless rear speakers are used to create xe2x80x9cphantomxe2x80x9d front speakers by combining a bipolar rear speaker with a mono front speaker. This arrangement, however, requires that the speakers be wired to a combination receiver/amplifier in the remote location and therefore suffers from the drawbacks that the present invention solves. The disclosure neither discloses nor anticipates any surround sound applications utilizing loudspeakers with integrated signal receiving, amplification channel selection and graphic equalization capabilities.
The ""323 patent, issued in the name of Schotz et al., discloses an analog spread spectrum wireless speaker system intended to allow the user to place a pair of speakers at a remote location without the need to run speaker wires. The ""641 patent, issued in the name of Abe et al., discloses a wireless receiver for use with headphones or loudspeakers. The device consists of a transmitter that transmits infrared radiation signals, modulated by an audio signal, to an infrared receiver that translated the signal to an audio signal and amplifies it for use with headphones or loudspeakers at a remote location. These disclosures differ from the present invention in that the receiver/amplifier portions are not integrated into the speaker design which necessitates further wiring in the remote location. Furthermore, the disclosures neither disclose nor anticipate any surround sound applications utilizing loudspeakers with integrated signal receiving, amplification channel selection and graphic equalization capabilities.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,899,388, issued in the name of Mlodzikowski et al., discloses an infrared speaker system in which a pair of remotely located speakers are fit individually with an infrared receiver and an audio amplifier. An infrared transmitter connected to a stereo or the like converts both left and right channel audio signals to an infrared signal and sends them to the speakers. Each speaker receiver is equipped with a filter that selects the appropriate channel, left or right, converts it to an audio signal and amplifies it, driving the loudspeaker. The ""382 patent, issued in the name of Kenney, discloses a remote speaker system similar in nature to that of the ""388 disclosure, the main difference being that an infrared signal rather than an FM signal is used to transmit the audio signal. While these disclosures do anticipate individual reception and amplification components in each speaker, the speakers are still limited to a single, non-selectable channel. Furthermore, the disclosures neither disclose nor anticipate any surround sound applications utilizing loudspeakers with integrated signal receiving, amplification channel selection and graphic equalization capabilities.
While several features exhibited within these references may be incorporated into this invention, alone and in combination with other elements, the present invention is sufficiently different so as to make it distinguishable over the prior art.
The present invention consists of a system uses a transmitting unit that emits a low level FM signal for each of the surround sound speaker channels. The transmitting unit incorporates surround sound processing circuitry that in which the user can select the desired effect to apply to the signals, from large concert hall to intimate club settings, along with conventional front-rear biasing, right-left biasing and graphic equalization capabilities. Individual receiving units, powered either by DC battery supply or conventional AC wall socket, are used to receive the transmitted signal and drive existing loudspeaker arrangements. The receiving unit includes electronic components that receive the respective speaker channel signal, convert it to an audio signal and amplifies it in order to drive the loudspeaker. Each receiving unit is fit with a channel selection switch that allows it to be configured to receive and amplify any of the surround sound channel signals transmitted by the transmitting unit. Furthermore, each receiving unit includes individual left-right biasing, front-rear biasing and graphic equalization and volume adjustment capabilities that can be enabled and used in the remote location, defeating the settings of the transmitting unit in the scenario where users in different locations or rooms are listening to the same selection.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a wireless speaker system wherein a transmitting unit and a receiving unit allows the user to place speakers about a room or rooms without running speaker wires from stereo components to each individual speaker assembly.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a wireless speaker system in which each receiving unit is fully self sufficient, being powered either a battery powered DC supply or a power cord plugged into a conventional wall socket.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a wireless speaker system in which a transmitter unit transmits individual channel signals, in stereo or surround sound, on an FM frequency.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a wireless speaker system in which a transmitter unit includes the ability to adjust the settings for the left-right biasing, front-rear biasing, graphic equalization and volume of the transmitted signal(s).
It is another object of the present invention to provide a wireless speaker system in which the use of a receiver assembly allows for use of the wireless speaker system with existing loudspeaker arrangements.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a wireless speaker system in which each individual receiver assembly can be configured to receive any of the stereo or surround sound signals transmitted by the transmitter unit.
Finally, It is an object of the present invention to provide a wireless speaker system in which each receiver assembly allows the user to adjust the individual settings for the left-right biasing, front-rear biasing, graphic equalization and volume of the transmitted signal(s), defeating those of the transmitter unit.